Former government minister Sadiq Baksh was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital yesterday after he collapsed while testifying in the ongoing inquiry into allegations of corruption surrounding the construction of the Piarco International Airport.
Baksh, who is charged with other former government ministers and businessmen, was in his fifth week of giving evidence in his defence. Just after 10 am Baksh collapsed in the courtroom and later began vomiting. He was made to sit on a bench while Senior Magistrate Ejenny Espinet contacted the Emergency Health Services. As he was being attended to, the 67-year-old puked brownish coloured liquid into a bag and said he was not in any pain. Espinet said the EHS advised he eats or drinks nothing and if he has to lay down that he do so on his side. A court official said Baksh had complained to them that he had been feeling unwell for the week, while some of his co-accused said he may have the flu.
At 11 am, Baksh was taken away by EHS while his co-accused contacted his family. As soon as Baksh was picked up off the ground in the courtroom the matter was stood down and recalled after 11 am to be adjourned to next Wednesday.
One of Baksh’s co-accused, businessman Tyrone Gopee, was excused from attending as that will be his 73 birthday. Gopee, while attending to his co-accused, joked that it was the case which has been going on for close to 13 years is making people sick. At least three other men have absented themselves from appearing in court due to illness. They are businessman Ishwar Galbaransingh, former public servant Peter Cateau and former chairman of the Airports Authority Ameer Edoo.
The men, along with former government minister Brian Kuei Tung and Galbarasingh’s former employee Amrith Maharaj were implicated between 2004 and 2005 for alleged corruption and bid-rigging in the $1.6 billion dollar airport project between 1995 and 2001. Galbarasingh’s Northern Construction Limited and Ferguson’s Maritime General Insurance are also implicated as parties in the inquiry.
In 2011, High Court judge Ronnie Boodoosingh quashed proposed extradition of Galbaransingh and Ferguson to the United States to face similar charges. Boodoosingh ruled that the inquiry before Espinet was the best forum for the prosecution as the substantive crimes were alleged to have occurred in this country.
The men were also unsuccessful in their application under the controversial Section 34 of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Offences) Act to have the case dismissed. The legislation gave people charged with specific offences who had waited more than 10 years to be tried to apply for their matters to be dismissed.
The group challenged the decision to repeal the legislation but their claim was rejected by the High Court, Court of Appeal and eventually the Privy Council.